Walter c



(No Model.)

w. G.- 0RR.- METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE NETTING. No. 5023084.

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Patented July 25, 1893;

awz. fl w UNITED STA ES i PATENT OFFICE,

WALTER C. ORR, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW JERSEY WIRECLOTH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE-NETTING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,084, dated July 25,1893.

I Application filed August 23, 1888. Serial No. 283.600. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER C. ORR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New J orsey,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of and Machinesfor Making Wire-Netting, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

Like letters and numerals represent like parts.

This invention relates to wire netting, its object being to provide animproved method and machine whereby a greater variety of shapes andgreater uniformity in the meshes may be obtained than have heretoforebeen possible.

The most common form of wire netting is that known to the trade ashexagon netting, in which four sides of each mesh are formed of singlewires, while each of the remaining two sides are formed of double wirestwisted together. The'method heretofore employed in the manufacture ofwire netting of this kind, is as follows:-The wires. to form the nettingare arranged in pairs and drawn through orifices in blocks carrying halfgears, which are rotated in such a manner that the wires of each pairare twisted together the required number .of times. The blocks and halfgears are then moved laterally in opposite directions. half the distancebetween the twists in the wire netting,- so that each half gear comesopposite the next adjacent half gear, thus forming a series of new pairsof wires, which are then twisted together as before. A reverse lateralmovement is then imparted to the blocks and half gears, thus restoringthem to their original positions and reforming the original pairs ofwires. The wires are drawn through the blocks by a shaping or draw ofiroll which carries pins or staples which take a bearing at the end ofthe twist at the junction of the wires, as they are spread to form thenext succeeding mesh, and thus the movement of the roll draws enoughwire from the spools or other supply to make the next twist and completethe mesh, the pins or staples being placed at the right dis tance apartto form meshes of the required size. A machine operating as described isshown in United States Letters Patent No. 417,934, dated December 24,1889. The only shape of mesh obtainable by this method is the hexagonal,which, however, may be made more or less perfect by drawing a greater orless quantity of wire from the supply, but, as there is but one pin orstaple for each mesh or half mesh, the mesh is very liable to be uneven,and it is Very difficult to obtain a perfect web of netting of evenhexagonal form.

By my improved method I am able to produce wire netting having uniformmeshes of any shape desired, and I obtain this result by stretching themeshes after their formation on formers so constructed as to give thedesired shape to the meshes. This method may be carried out by anysuitable attachment to the machine in which the netting is first formed,or by an independent machine, but I prefer to employ a series ofsuitable formers between the shaping or draw off roll and the windingroll, and force the formers into the meshes of the netting as it passesto the winding roll.

For a full understanding of my invention a detailed description of thepreferred form of machine embodying the same will now be given,reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of the twistingend of a machine for forming hexagonal netting, showing such parts ofthe machine as are necessary for illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is abroken plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail plan of the formers.

Referring now to said drawings, A is the shaping or draw off rollprovided with the staples or pins 1 by which the meshes of the nettingare engaged, and B is the twisting means for the series of wires or bforming the netting N, the latter passing from the shaping roll over theleading roll 0 to the winding roll D. This twisting means may be of anysuitable construction,but consists preferably of the sliding bar 2carrying the half gears 3, and the sliding rack 4 by which the pairs ofhalf gears are rotated, thisbeing the common construction in this classof machines.

Between the shaping and leading rolls is a frame E pivot-ally mounted tooscillate to and from the netting, and carrying upon its face next thenetting a series of'formers F shown as corresponding in shape to themeshes to be produced. These formers F are preferably made tapering, asshown, so as to more readily enter and be withdrawn from the meshes, andact as wedges to force the wires of the meshes to the'shape desired.The;

frame E carrying the formers F is oscillated to force the formers intothe meshes of the netting by means of a cam G carried by a shaft Hmounted in the frame of the machine and driven from the shaping roll Aby gears I, or in any other suitable manner. The" frame is returned byits weight, or a spring or other means may be employed if desired. Theoperation of the machine will readily be understood fromt-he drawingsand the fol-, lowing brief'description: The netting Nleaves the shapingroll A with meshesof the usual hexagonal form, but, as it passes to thelead-j ing roll ,0, the frame E is oscillated by the cam G to force thetapered formers]? through alternate rows of meshes, thus changing theshape of the meshes to agree with that of the formers, all as clearlyshown in Fig. 2.

While Ihave shown the formers as carried by a frame which is oscillatedto force the formers through the meshes and I prefer this construction,it will be understood that the construction and special method ofoperation of this partof the machine may readily be varied withoutdeparting from theprinciple of my invention. Thus the formersmaybe movedto and from the nettingby a-reciproeating instead of an oscillatingmovement, and it is apparent also that a construction the equivalentofthat shown mightreadilybe produced in which the netting should bemoved toward the formers instead of the reverse. The formers, also, ifdesired, may be carried by a cylinder which rotates in position to forcethe formers through the meshes, and withdraw them on the furtherrotation of the cylinder.

The formers are shown as constructed of solid blocks, butmay be of anyother suitable construction, such as series of pins at short intervalsapart so arranged as to give the shape to the meshes, or strips of metalmay be bent to the required shape and secured to the frame. The formersare shown as circular, but it will be understood that they may be of anyform desired, and may either be made removable from the frame sothat'formers of other shapes may be substituted, or the mesh may bechanged by substituting frames carrying formers of other shapes.

YVhile the formers will generally be constructed of the same shape asthe meshes to be produced, certain shapes of meshes maybe produced byusing formers differing in shape from the meshes, and such aconstruction is within my invention. If desired, a number of rows offormers may be employed instead of operating upon a single row ofmeshes.

While my invention has been shown as applied to a machine for producinghexagonal netting, it will be understood that it is applicable also tomachines in which meshes of other shapes are produced, and that, ifdesired, the'apparatus embodying my invention may constitute a machineentirely independent of the machine bywhich the netting is made, andnetting from various machines reformed thereby.

What I claim is 1. The improvement in the art of making wire nettingwhich consists in forming the meshes of the netting and then stretchingthe meshes on formers determining the-shape of themeshes to be produced,substantially as described.

2. The improvement -in-tl1'e art of making twisted wire netting whichconsistsin twisting the wires to form the meshesof the netting and thenstretchingthe meshes on formers to change the shape of the meshes,substantially as described.

3. The combination with meansforifeeding wire netting, of a series offormers, determining the shapeof the meshes to be produced and meansforforcing the meshes of the netting over the formers, substantiall y asdescribed.

4. The combination with meansfor feeding wire netting, of a series offormers corresponding in shape to the meshes :to be produced, and meansfor forcingthe meshesofthe netting .over the formers, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a machine for making wire netting, the combination with themeshforming mechanism and the winding roll, of a series of formersdetermining the shape of the meshes to be producedplaced between themesh forming mechanism and winding roll, and means for forcing themeshes of the netting on the formers, substautiallyas described.

6. The combination with the shaping or draw off roll and twistingmechanismof a machine for making hexagonal netting, ofa series offormers over which the netting passes after it leaves the shaping roll,and means forforcing' said formers into the meshes to change the shapeof the latter, substantially as described.

7. The combination with means for feeding wire netting, of a series oftapering formers determining the shape of the meshes to be produced, andmeans for forcing the meshingof the netting over the formers,substantially as described.

WALTER O. ORR. Witnesses:

WM. ORR, A. D. CARNAGY.

